Hybrid Car Review

Almost buried in the following press release is the second element to Ford's Greener Miles program involving hybrids. Ford is piloting a program to help offset the greenhouse gases emitted in the manufacturing of the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid beginning with the 2007 model year.

Ford estimates the carbon emissions from the production of each vehicle and will invest in projects that reduce emissions elsewhere by the same amount.

Ford Motor Company - Featured Story - Ford and TerraPass Create Program To Help Drivers Reduce Greenhouse Gas

Ford and TerraPass Create Program To Help Drivers Reduce Greenhouse Gas

By: Kristopher Spencer | Ford Communications Network
*TerraPass has reduced over 60 million pounds of CO2 emissions by funding clean energy projects like renewable energy production.

*A modern windmill is 300 feet tall and makes enough energy to power 250 homes.

*Heating and powering the average 10-person office generates approximately 22,000 lbs of CO2 per year.

*Four round-trip cross-country business flights produce more lbs of CO2 per passenger than the average driver creates in an entire year - over 13,000 lbs of CO2.

*A study from Stanford University suggests that we would have seven times the electricity the world currently consumes if 20 percent of potential global wind resources were developed.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 28, 2006 - Ford Motor Company and TerraPass have announced Greener Miles™, an automotive industry first that offers Ford vehicle owners the opportunity to offset the climate impact of their driving through the support of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The announcement was made at the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) conference in Los Angeles, Calif.

The Greener Miles™ program offers consumers a direct role in reducing the greenhouse gases that are emitted when they drive. Through the Greener Miles™ program, drivers can calculate the amount of CO2 emissions they generate in one year of driving by visiting www.terrapass.com/ford. Customers then have the opportunity to purchase an offset that supports renewable energy projects, such as wind and biomass. This pilot program gives customers a simple way to be voluntary, active participants in addressing the challenges of climate change.

"Greener Miles is just one piece of our comprehensive strategy on climate change," said Niel Golightly, director, Sustainable Business Strategies. "It is not a substitute for our continuing work on vehicle fuel efficiency. It does provide an incremental, short term action to help bridge the gap until we are able to implement longer term solutions. And it allows individuals to take positive, direct action now to share in the solution."

Greener Miles is one of two elements in Ford's carbon offset initiative. The other, which does not involve TerraPass, is a pilot program to offset the greenhouse gases emitted in the manufacture of Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids beginning with the 2007 model year. Ford calculates the carbon emissions associated with each vehicle's production and invests in projects including renewable energy production that reduce emissions elsewhere by the same amount.

Ford customers purchasing Greener Miles TerraPasses are helping to fund renewable clean energy projects such as wind power energy or making power from dairy farm manure. The cost ranges from $29.95 to $79.95, depending on the type of vehicle and miles traveled, and the actual emissions reductions are third-party verified by Green-e, one of the country's leading authorities on renewable clean energy issues. Customers receive a vehicle decal as a visual symbol of their participation in the Greener Miles program.

"Your purchase of a TerraPass supports energy projects that balance out your car's climate impact and moves us all ahead on the road to a future of clean, renewable energy," said Tom Arnold, TerraPass chief environmental officer. "This is a way for individuals to take personal action and take advantage of our efforts at getting the maximum environmental benefit from every dollar. We are excited to have Ford as a partner in helping us address this very important issue."

The Greener Miles program serves as a natural extension of Ford's ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Since 2000, Ford has cut its manufacturing CO2 emissions by 15 percent worldwide through implementation of energy efficiency measures in its facilities. The company was a founding member of both the United Kingdom Voluntary Emissions Trading Program and the Chicago Climate Exchange.

Ford addresses vehicle emissions through initiatives to increase the fuel-efficiency of its fleet. Ford has announced several actions including: plans to increase production capacity of hybrid vehicles to 250,000 annually by 2010; the addition of four new vehicles that can run largely on ethanol for production of 250,000 Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) in 2006, and continued innovative research into development of clean diesels and hydrogen powered vehicles.

"Ford is tackling the challenge of climate change from all sides," Golightly said. "Greener Miles and Ford's relationship with TerraPass is the latest in our portfolio of innovations for reducing the impact of cars and trucks on the climate."

Beyond "Greener Miles"
Ford is engaged in a variety of innovative initiatives designed to address the issue of climate change by reducing emissions from its vehicles and its manufacturing processes. But substantial ongoing reductions in driving emissions will require progress on three fronts: the vehicle, the fuels powering them, and driver behavior.

Ford's Greener Miles program is a customer call to action - building awareness of driving emissions and of ways that individual drivers can take action to reduce them. The carbon offset partnership with Terrapass is a major element.

Another tool Ford will be offering its customers in early May is the Eco-driving interactive online training program that has been available to employees since early 2006. ECO-driving shows customers how to conserve fuel, save money at the pump, and help the environment by operating and maintaining their vehicles in the most fuel-efficient ways possible.